Conclusions

Abstract

This book has attempted to bring together social science perspectives on energy security and renewable energy with engineering and natural science perspectives on energy technologies. The idea has been to combine deep insights about emerging energy technologies with analysis about the social impacts of these technologies. At the same time, technological diffusion and application are not simply a function of the technology itself. Rather than following a technological dynamic, the diffusion and application of technology often follows a social logic. This is especially the case with the energy sector, where pre-existing institutions, stake-holders, and ideas often have a powerful impact on which new technologies are adopted and which are not. This cross-national study has proven to be the idea vehicle for analyzing this dynamic. Although the technology available in China, Japan, and Northern Europe is essentially the same, the choices and adoption of technologies have varied tremendously among these countries.